The Road Goes Ever On And On
by Child of Dreams
Summary: I had read about these things happening. People would be going about their everyday lives, then for no apparent reason, would find themselves quite literally transported to another world, leaving this one far behind. But I never once thought it could happen to me. This is my story...


**The Road Goes Ever On**  
**By: Child of Dreams**

**_Disclaimer: The Hobbit? The Lord of the Rings? LOTRO?_  
_Me no own, you no sue._  
_Capiche?_  
_Good._  
_Now, let's move on._**

**Prologue: It Begins**  


_I had read about these things happening._  
_People would be going about their everyday lives, then for no apparent reason, would find themselves quite literally transported to another world, leaving this one far behind._  
_These people did not always return, either, but those who did all had one thing in common._  
_They all came back changed, whether for better or for worse._

_However, this story is not about them._  
_This story is about me._

I was on my laptop one evening, having just installed a new game.  
The Lord of the Rings Online, it was called, also known as LOTRO.

I hadn't been aware of Middle Earth's existence for very long at this point... barely six months, in fact.  
This fascinating world had first come to my attention through my favorite site, ...  
I had gotten bored one day of reading the usual fandoms; Phantom of the Opera, The Tudors, Harry Potter, etc - and decided to find something new to read.  
It only took one fic to spark my interest, and from there, it quickly spiraled into a full-fledged obsession.

However, I soon became tired of reading the same old stories and watching the movies over and over again.  
I needed more.  
I wanted a new way to immerse myself in the world of Hobbits, Elves and Dwarves; a way in which I could actually be part of the story, instead of just watching it unfold on a TV screen without being able to do anything.  
So I googled "Hobbit games", found a few hits, but nothing that really appealed to me.  
Trying again with "LOTR online game" proved much more rewarding, and at the top of the list of results was a hit that instantly drew my attention.  
"The Lord of the Rings Online".

Now I didn't decide to download it right away, it took four months of constantly going back and forth in my mind, wondering if this really was what I had been looking for, and asking myself if I was prepared for the inevitable disappointment should I prove to be mistaken.  
While I was thinking, I looked for images from the game.  
When that was no longer enough, I went to YouTube and watched videos of some guy named Balthelion playing the game... he had named his hobbit Trystana, of all things!

As I watched, I couldn't help but feel a strong sense of longing.  
I wanted to explore Middle Earth for myself.  
I wanted to fight goblins and orcs, and take down Blackwolds...  
I wanted to see the Shire, and visit Tom Bombadil.  
I wanted the full experience.

And so, my choice was made.  
I created a free account, installed the game - and God, did it take forever to fully download - and logged in.

The first thing I see is the Character Creation Screen - or The CCS.

Hmmm... **Race?**  
I click Hobbit.

**Gender?**  
Female, obviously.

**Class?**  
I quickly dismiss most of the options, except for Burglar and Hunter.  
Hmmm, Burglar or Hunter? Which to choose?  
I do prefer the bow when it came to weapons, not quite as bloody as other weapons... but at the same time, I love to sneak around and play tricks on people!  
Chewing my lower lip, I finally pick Burglar, praying that I won't end up regretting this.

**_Origins?_**  
I choose Fallohide, privately thinking that their adventurous nature may actually come in handy this time around.

**_Physical characteristics?  
_**A heart-shaped face... light brown hair in pigtails... eyes as green as the hills of the Shire...  
I want my character to look somewhat similar to me, even though my eyes are blue.

**_Name?  
_**It says that Hobbit women are usually named after flowers or jewels... I suppose that means "Katya" isn't an option...  
But just to be absolutely certain, I type "K-A-T-Y-A" into the bar before clicking "ENTER".  
You can imagine my shock when the name is somehow accepted, and I am taken to the Character Selection Screen, or The CSS.  
I click "ENTER" a second time - and the next thing I know, I am no longer in my bedroom.

**A/N: I know I ask for reviews a lot in my fics, and I can imagine it's getting rather annoying at this point.**  
**But if you don't review, I can't know whether or not you like my writing.**  
**So please be kind enough to leave a review - even if it's just a short one - at the end of each chapter.**  
**Cheers!**


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